Abstract:

Central purpose of this study:
This research aims at analyzing the teaching skills of faculty staff in terms of the information mediation process in Brazilian higher education and how it is perceived by students.

Theoretical framework:
Education and training are considered privileged means for the satisfaction of individual and socio organizational needs (SILVA, 2000). Although a quantitative and qualitative discussion about teacher training has occurred in Brazil in recent years, there are still many challenges ahead, it is believed that a significant proportion of Brazilian teachers are under a digital or cyber seclusion, which alone prompts the need to develop programs that address the subject of interactive teaching and information mediation in this new context. The challenge is faced also by institutions when modeling more effective education strategies (RODRIGUES, 2011). This research used the model proposed by Mendonça et al (2012) for analyzing teaching skills, the model targets seven knowledge areas, namely: teaching, research, extension, management, evaluation, interpersonal and technical. The increased demand for education and its consolidation coupled with the adoption of information and communication technologies urges the adoption of interactive educational processes (focusing on the dialogue between students and teachers), which makes urgent that teacher training embraces the development of the necessary knowledge and skills for this new context (RIBEIRO; OLIVEIRA; MILL, 2010). In this process of appropriation of information by the individual in order to generate new knowledge in education, it is important to reflect on the adequacy of knowledge and skills, that make it possible to model for greater effectiveness, the process of teaching and learning. The above scenario presents the problem investigated by this research and aimed at answering the following question: How do teacher´s skills in the information mediation process in Brazilian higher education are perceived by students?

Search method:
This is a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study. The subjects were 72 students of Information Management of the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), situated in northeastern Brazil. The questionnaires applied (open and close answers) were based on the model for analyzing teaching skills proposed by Mendonça et al (2012) and the content analysis was predominantly used.

Results and conclusions:
The use of the model helped to place each of the knowledge areas within a teaching practice, and as a result comes the suggestion to include the information mediation skill in the model proposed by Mendonça et al (2012), the survey showed little knowledge about the concept of information mediation among subjects, although elements of dissemination and appropriation of knowledge were identified. Further discussion in education about the creation of knowledge through information science theories is needed, specifically on the perspective of the information mediation phenomenon which differs from the concept of mediation addressed by the pedagogical perspective. From the viewpoint of skills and characteristics of a teacher, according to the data, there is a concentration in behavioral elements more than on technical or procedural ones, which reinforces the role and importance of the teacher as an actor provided with subjectivity that can use mediation to enhance learning and the construction of knowledge.

Keywords:

Information Mediation, Teaching competence, Knowledge.